Coffee shop comforts: Savouring the little things in a troubled time
Capital Current's Sarah MacFarlane reminds us to savour the good times as we brace for the hard work ahead.
Faces of change: The path of Claudette Commanda
Commanda Claudette became a professor and currently is a special adviser to the dean of law on reconciliation at uOttawa.
Faces of Change: June Girvan focuses on Black history, children and social justice
June Girvan is an Ottawa community leader who has dedicated years of work to promote children’s rights and equity of all people.
Community gardens ready to adapt and grow in 2021
Ottawa's community gardens push to be labelled as essential in the spring saw an even greater turnout than usual, a demand leading to expansions in the 2021 season.
Night at the museum: How Canada’s history hubs are struggling through the dark days of COVID-19
Museums across Canada are wrestling with the impact of COVID-19 and trying to plan for an uncertain future.
Reporter’s Notebook: Covering controversy in a smaller community
Covering anti-mask protests in my hometown has challenged my reporting skills.
Community service grant program helps young Canadians give back
#RisingYouth Community Service Grants are helping people ages 15-30 across the country give back to their communities.
Carleton student Cihan Erdal now detained in Turkey for three months
There is a campaign underway to obtain the release of Carleton student and Canadian permanent resident Cihan Erdal who has been detained in Turkey for three months.
Meditation on the rise as pandemic stress intensifies
Meditation is an effective tool to mitigate pandemic stress and virtual Ottawa meditation classes are increasingly gaining popularity.
Podcast: Coping With COVID 2020 – Episode 1
In this episode, we will explore how the pandemic is affecting Canadians in a variety of ways: we’ll dive into the struggles of students and the education system, the homeless population, and current events that are reshaping society.
Graduating Ontario high school students struggle to secure volunteer placements during COVID-19
COVID-19 is limiting opportunities for graduating high school students who are trying to secure volunteer placements in the local community.
Latest ‘Lost Ottawa’ book explores the past through shared memories
Lost Ottawa provides a way to talk about shared experiences, memories and changes through photos of the past.
Tiny house, big benefits: Living with less can make you happier, research shows
Living tiny is proving to have big benefits. People are choosing the tiny house lifestyle to downsize the space they live in, simplify their life, and live efficiently with less - and it's having a big impact on homeowner happiness.
Podcast: COVID Impact 2020 – Episode 3
In this episode, dreams, therapy and wellness have all been affected by COVID-19. Also, a look at tree-planting in Canada and freedom of speech in Canadian universities.
Podcast: COVID Impact 2020 – Episode 2
In this episode, hear how people are adjusting to and coping with life during COVID-19.
Vintage shop brings a message of social service to Centretown year-round
Leigh Reid and Karen Nielson, the owners of highjinx, approach social services in a simple way by giving people what they need, when they need it.
Online LGBTQ-friendly business directory helps shoppers feel safe
Dapper and Daring is an online LGBTQ-friendly business directory for the Ottawa area, poised to help shoppers feel safe from discrimination.
Quebec woman’s death after racist slurs prompts push to reform health care for Indigenous peoples
The Indigenous community continues bear the brunt of inadequate healthcare, regularly experiencing abusive treatment, negative stereotyping, and substandard care.
Ottawa’s Jewish women closer than ever during pandemic
Jewish women in Ottawa support each other during the pandemic through a variety of community events.
Charitable challenges: COVID-19 hurting the homeless, the hungry and others in need in Ottawa
Three charitable organizations describe the problems they face helping the homeless, the hungry and people in need during the COVID-19 pandemic
Ottawa transit riders band against OC Transpo fare hike as 2021 budget nears finalization
The transit committee voted 8 to 3 in favour of the 2021 draft budget on Wednesday, leaving transit riders and advocates to rally against a 2.5 per cent fare increase ahead of final approval by city council on Dec. 9.
Ottawa’s online students brace for the isolation of a long winter
The isolation of online learning during the pandemic is have a negative impact on the mental health of students.
Businesses, customers lament as pandemic scuttles Ottawa Christmas Market
The Ottawa Christmas Market is cancelled this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The cancellation of this event may impact more than just he holiday spirit in Ottawa, including small business owners who rely on Christmas Markets to sell their products.
Despite public concerns, council to vote on 10-year extension of OSEG’s Landsowne deal
On Wednesday, Ottawa City Council will decide whether to help the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group navigate the financial pressures of running Lansdowne Park through the pandemic and beyond.
Ottawa Tool Library reluctantly packs up 2,500-item kit after eviction from City Centre
The Ottawa Tool Library is unexpectedly vacating its home base at the City Centre building near Bayview Station after being evicted by its property management company. The OTL is not publicly funded, relying instead on a membership system that gives participants unlimited access to 2,500 tools and devices and the workshop space needed to work on DIY projects. The library...
Committee approves compromise in dispute over redrawing of Cumberland ward boundary
The city's finance and development committee has approved changes to ward boundaries with will see the creation of a 24th ward.
Faces of change: Ottawa photographer Katherine Takpannie uses her camera to raise awareness
Capital Current continues its occasional series profiling some of the people who are making a difference in our community: Katherine Takpannie says her journey with photography started when she was 15. “I have an uncle who gifted me a little point-and-shoot camera, and I had started a project called 365, when you take one photo a day for an entire...
Faces of change: Nimao Ali, a ‘friend, sister and mother’ to Ottawa’s Somali community
Nimao Ali has worked to bring justice for Abdirahman Abdi with the Abdi family and local members of the community.
Faces of change: Kai Dean brings LGBTQ-friendly auto services to Ottawa
Kai Dean is a Merrickville-based mechanic offering services geared towards LGBTQ people and allies.
COVID consequences: Ottawa’s Syrian community acutely affected by education, language barriers during pandemic
Syrian refugee community aren’t getting sufficient education or the language practice amid the COVID-19 pandemic, hindering their efforts to acclimatize to life in Ottawa.
Faces of change: Lyra Evans pushes for progressive policies as an Ottawa public school board trustee
Lyra Evans is pushing for change as a trustee for the Ottawa-Carleton Public School Board.
Ottawa’s 2020 Brian Kilrea Award winner is so much more than a football coach
The story of Jean-Sorphia Guillaume goes beyond the football field and into the community where he has helped many succeed in football, but more importantly in life.
Faces of change: Rev. Anthony Bailey hard at work for social justice
Parkdale United Church Reverend Anthony Bailey has been awarded the Order of Ottawa for his exceptional contributions to the Ottawa community.
Faces of change: John Medicine Horse Kelly brings communities together through music
Capital Current continues its occasional series profiling some of the people who are making a difference in our community: John Medicine Horse Kelly has spent the better part of the past three decades working to preserve and revitalize Indigenous culture through music. Nowadays, he works to create bridges between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities at Carleton University. Kelly, from Skidegate, Haida...
Etches says she sees ‘the light at the end of the tunnel’ as COVID cases in Ottawa drop
Ottawa's COVID-19 case count is declining but that's no reason to let up on protocols, Dr. Vera Etches says.
Faces of change: Renée Michaud works to connect people during the pandemic
Local artist and entrepreneur Renée Michaud has adapted her community-based art events to keep people connected during the pandemic.
As COVID-19 drags on, traffic collisions are way down but dangerous driving may be up
Business closures and working from home during COVID-19 has reduced traffic across Ontario. How is this impacting road safety for Canadians?
Faces of change: Jessica Ruano advocates for the arts community in Ottawa and abroad
Capital Current continues its occasional series profiling some of the people who are making a difference in our community: From theatre to community support to journalism, Jessica Ruano has worked to pave the way for younger artists in Canada and abroad. In 2006, she founded the Ottawa Arts Newsletter in response to what she felt was a lack of local...
Faces of change: Nathalie Maione uses furniture to fight for inclusion
Nathalie Maione's charity Helping With Furniture furnishes the homes of international and domestic immigrants in Ottawa. They go far beyond furniture in their fight for inclusion.
Seasonal businesses consider a virtual Christmas as COVID scuttles in-person traditions
With the Holidays right around the corner, Christmas small businesses are potentially opting for COVID-safe virtual options to continue to spread Christmas cheer.
In a downtown park torn up by construction, dedicated volunteers help flowers bloom amid pandemic gloom
Sarah Lozowski smiles through her floral-patterned face mask as she explains what she’s planting. Today it’s tiger lilies, which she has donated more than once from her garden at home to begin filling the bare plots in tiny St. Luke’s Park, tucked away just off Ottawa’s busy Elgin Street strip of bars and restaurants. “They tend to spread everywhere!” Lozowski...
Ribbons of remembrance: Ottawa church dedicates COVID tree to honour victims, soothe community’s grief
A small tree beside a church in the Glebe has been transformed into a memorial for local victims of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hundreds of pale blue ribbons — the colour of the disposable masks so commonly worn since the global health crisis began in the spring — flutter among the tree’s branches, each knotted strand dedicated to an Ottawa resident...
Pandemic changing way architects are thinking about Ottawa’s new library
How Architects are designing and building our future communities in the COVID era.
Rage rooms and other spaces offer physical, emotional relief in COVID times
An overview of select recreational facilities that offer consumers a safe space to engage in a physical activity while blowing off emotional steam.
Ottawa’s multicultural communities boast impressive giving habits
A recent nationwide study shows our multicultural communities are more inclined to support charities and nonprofits compared to the average Canadian. With one in three Canadians projected to be immigrants by 2036, Ottawa’s community leaders, expert researchers and marketers agree that engaging diverse communities should be top of mind for the charitable sector.
Ottawa organizations keeping hard-to-recycle items out of landfills
Local organization Earthub is helping Ottawans find new homes for hard-to-recycle items that would otherwise end up in the trash.
Cooking for a Cause Ottawa shows what the power of good food can achieve
A food security initiative that was started due to COVID-19, hopes to continue operations into 2021.
COVID and creativity: New businesses spring up during pandemic
As a way to keep productive during quarantine, some Ottawa locals have started their own businesses, seeing success in the second wave.
Time to Fall Back
Before you go to bed Saturday night, remember to set your clock back one hour. Sunrise and sunset will be about an hour earlier on Sunday, but there will be more light in the morning. We are gonna need that sun as winter closes in, this year especially.
Pandemic Pets: Consider the consequences when you adopt, experts say
Amid the pandemic the demand for pets has increased, but post-pandemic conditions may pose problems for these furry companions.